Marking the Text MI – Most Important Idea - The sentence or sentences that best represent what the entire text is about. (HOWEVER, the most important idea should follow your purpose for the reading. For example, if you give students a text and ask them to read to find out what the story is mostly about, then that’s the most important idea as described above. You could also have them determine the most important idea based on the purpose for reading that you give them. For example, say they are reading about the Italian Renaissance, but you tell them that their purpose for reading is to determine why Italy was the perfect place for the renaissance to occur. Then their most important idea would surround your purpose for their reading, not necessarily what the entire text was about.) Students can start their connections with statements like:
- I think this is mostly about . . .
- I think what the author is trying to say is . . .
- The main idea is . . . MC – Making Connections - Connecting what you’re reading to what you know.
Students can start their connections with statements like:
- That reminds me of . . .
- That makes me think of the time . . .
- This is like . . .
- This is like that other [book, story, chapter] we read because . . .
- This reminds me of something I saw on TV where . . .
- This is similar to . . . Q – Questioning – Forming questions about what you’re reading. Students can start their questions with statements like:
- I wonder . . .?
- How could . . . ?
- What is . . .?
- Why . . .?
- I was confused when . . .?
- When . . ., Where . . ., or Who . . . ?
MI – Most Important Idea - The sentence or sentences that best represent what the entire text is about.
(HOWEVER, the most important idea should follow your purpose for the reading. For example, if you give students a text and ask them to read to find out what the story is mostly about, then that’s the most important idea as described above. You could also have them determine the most important idea based on the purpose for reading that you give them. For example, say they are reading about the Italian Renaissance, but you tell them that their purpose for reading is to determine why Italy was the perfect place for the renaissance to occur. Then their most important idea would surround your purpose for their reading, not necessarily what the entire text was about.)
Students can start their connections with statements like:
- I think this is mostly about . . .
- I think what the author is trying to say is . . .
- The main idea is . . .
MC – Making Connections - Connecting what you’re reading to what you know.
Students can start their connections with statements like:
- That reminds me of . . .
- That makes me think of the time . . .
- This is like . . .
- This is like that other [book, story, chapter] we read because . . .
- This reminds me of something I saw on TV where . . .
- This is similar to . . .
Q – Questioning – Forming questions about what you’re reading.
Students can start their questions with statements like:
- I wonder . . .?
- How could . . . ?
- What is . . .?
- Why . . .?
- I was confused when . . .?
- When . . ., Where . . ., or Who . . . ?